Muslims conclude month of sunrise-to-sundown fasting

Published 12:36 pm, Thursday, August 8, 2013

Members of the Muslim Association of West Texas pray after breaking their fast with a potluck dinner Aug. 2. James Durbin/Reporter-Telegram

Members of the Muslim Association of West Texas pray after breaking their fast with a potluck dinner Aug. 2. James Durbin/Reporter-Telegram

Photo: JAMES DURBIN

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Members of the Muslim Association of West Texas break their fasting with a potluck dinner Aug. 2. James Durbin/Reporter-Telegram

Members of the Muslim Association of West Texas break their fasting with a potluck dinner Aug. 2. James Durbin/Reporter-Telegram

Photo: JAMES DURBIN

Muslims conclude month of sunrise-to-sundown fasting

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It's 8:45 p.m., and Dr. Shihab Diais hasn't eaten or drunk anything since 6 a.m. — not even water. As the sun sets in the west, he swallows his first bite of food — a pitted date — after nearly 15 hours of fasting.

Diais is celebrating the Islamic month of Ramadan, a 30-day period in which Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset every day. During Ramadan, Muslims rise an hour before sunrise to eat a morning meal, "suhoor," before commencing fasting. The fast is broken at sunset with the evening meal, "iftar."

Diais is the imam, or worship leader, of the Muslim Association of West Texas (MAWT), which meets in a building called the masjid at 1200 S. Midland Drive. Every Friday evening during the month of Ramadan, which began July 9 and ended Wednesday, MAWT members gathered in the masjid with platters of food for a potluck dinner to break their fasts.

Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam, along with faith, prayer, charity and pilgrimage to Mecca. The fast is intended to train the mind to overcome difficulties, as well as serve as a reminder of what the millions of hungry people in the world go through every day.

Dr. Mohsin Syed, MAWT president, described the fast as a "cleanse."

"It's not all about not drinking and not eating," he said. "The thirst and the hunger keeps reminding you that you should be nice, you should be humble. It's supposed to make you a better human being."

Muslims pray five times a day — before sunrise, at noon, in the late afternoon, at sunset and in the evening. Last Friday's breaking of the fast coincided with the sunset prayer. After breaking the fast with pitted dates and other small foods, the men and women separated from each other and went into a different room to pray.

Separating the men and women is intended to prevent distractions and keep the focus on praying, Diais said. Nearly all of the women covered their hair and neck with a veil called the hijab, which is not mandatory but worn by many practicing Muslim women.

Children often start fasting around age 9 or 10, but many begin earlier, Diais said. After age 14, Muslims are required to fast.

Diais described Ramadan as a time for forgiveness, when the "doors of hell are shut" and the "doors of heaven are widely open." It's about training your soul and repenting to God, he said.

"Of course it's hard, especially if you are working outside in the sun," he said. "You do what you can without hurting yourself."

MAWT has been active in the Permian Basin for about 25 years. There are about 200 Muslim families in the area, Diais said.

Ramadan ended Wednesday and was followed on Thursday by "Eid al-Fitr," a feast to break the month of fasting. The dates for Ramadan are based on the lunar calendar, so they fall about 10 days earlier every year.